G'day,
Those who are interested in contacting historic lighthouses around the
world may like to look out for VK6VZ/6 in the Stew Perry Topband Distance
Challenge on 28/29 December.
I will be re-activating Australia's first lighthouse, located at Cape
Leeuwin (grid OF75), 9 km north of Augusta and around 300 km south of
Perth. Cape Leeuwin is located on a 1km-long promontory and marks the
place on the Western Australian coastline where the Southern and Indian
Oceans meet.
The lighthouse balcony is around 39 metres above ground and for the contest
this year, both an inverted vee dipole and a full-sized wire quarter wave
vertical will be used. The only problem is that Cape Leeuwin is probably
the windiest place in Western Australia, so keeping an antenna in the air
can be tricky!
Transmission may be done between 1810 and 1815, with QSX 10 - 15KHz down
the band, in the spirit of the old W1BB trans-Pacific QSOs. As the
operation is LP, if operation takes place higher in the band (i.e. 1820 -
1835) QSX up 1 is likely to be used - if the conditions are good and lots
of you blokes call me.
A special QSL card commemorating the operation will be available for those
who contact VK6VZ/6 at Cape Leeuwin.
After sunset on the 28/29 December, prior to the start of the Stew Perry,
my friend Phil VK6APH will give the station a warm-up as VK6APH/6, while I
get a few hours sleep. Look out for Phil and be gentle with him as he is
usually a HF SSB operator.
Vy 73,
Steve, VK6VZ
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